First, I apologize for not having time to blog recently. Today, My dear sister emailed me the link to her new blog and I couldn’t wait to share it with all of you!

She has started a blog titled “My Autistic Muslim Child.” This blog helps give insight into the lives of autistic muslim children and their parents, raise awareness, and provides support by the permission of Allah.

The blog is in it’s early stages, so please stop by and give her your support and if you think you know someone it will benefit by all means pass it along! : )

The moon has not been sighted and therefore Ramadan will start on Saturday the 22nd of August 2009, insha’Allaah.

“O you who believe! Observing As-Saum (the fasting) is prescribed for you as it was prescribed for those before you, that you may become Al-Muttaqoon (the pious).”Al-Qur’an 2:183

The Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said: “Whoever fasts Ramadaan out of faith and in the hope of reward, his previous sins will be forgiven.” (Al-Bukhari & Muslim). And al-Bukhaari and Muslim also narrated from Abu Hurayrah that the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said: “Whoever spends the nights of Ramadaan in prayer out of faith and in the hope of reward, his previous sins will be forgiven.”

Get the most out of Ramadan by visiting these sites insh’Allah:

Live classes and lectures:

www.sunnahfollowers.net (offers past recorded lectures on Islamic topics including Ramadan and also offers FREE live lectures and powerpoint presentations)

There once was a horse that fell into an abandoned well. His owner wanted to get him out but when he calculated the cost and effort and contemplated what he would have to do and everything the task would involve and the result of that, he came to a conclusion. He figured that the horse is too old and the well is abandoned. So, it would be easier just to buy a new horse and fill up the old well. Therefore, the plan was made.

The man went around to his neighbors and asked them to help him. So, they all gathered at the well and began shoveling dirt onto the horse. Well, the horse started going crazy, whining and sreaming and stomping. Suddenly, the sound dissappeared. The horse’s owner leaned over the well and looked down. He was amazed at what he saw.

Everytime a person dumped dirt onto the horse, he shook it off, when the dirt fell to the ground he stomped it . The more dirt they dumped on him the more he shook it off and stomped, rising up. The horse continued doing that until he finally made it to the top and jumped out of the well.

Brothers and sisters, this is exactly like life. This is exactly what Muslims have to go through. People are dumping dirt on you all the way from A to Z and you continue to rise by shaking it off and ignoring it. People have nothing but to bury you. It could be from your own family, friends, or your enemies. As long as you are with Allah (SWT) you will run into people who will definatley do that. And what is your job?

Your job is to be patient. Your job is to ignore. Your job is to shake it off like nothing happend. When someone insults you, when someone says something negative about you, know that you are with Allah (SWT). No one can do anything to you and the more people attack you the more you rise up.

And also remember that, people don’t attack a tree without fruit. They attack the tree with the fruit. They throw the stones to get the fruit out of that tree.

So, there is some benefit in that when you have something good, people will attack you. When you don’t have anything good, why should they talk about you? Why should they demean you? Why should they put you down? You are nothing. But when you are someone people will attack that.

Leave all the worries and burdens everything you you have and remember every calamity and problem you face is like a handful of dirt. Shake it off and rise with your actions and you will find yourself on top. The best time to find yourself on top is the Day of Judgement. Make your heart free of worries. Make your mind free of stress and live your life simple.

The recent passing of Michael Jackson, The King of Pop, has many people around the world talking…and mourning. It even has the Muslim world a buzz asking “Was Michael Jackson really a Muslim??” Well, there have been reports from The Telegraph, etc saying he converted in November 2008 with the help and guidance of his older brother Jermaine. Allahu Alim (Allah knows best) whether he was or wasn’t.

There are multiple reports coming from religious leaders confirming that Michael Jackson was Muslim. Most notably, they come from Imam Zaid Shakir who said he has reliable sources, and Imam Johari Malik who said CNN reported an Imam will be visiting the family for janazah arrangements. We’ll keep you posted of any more news as well as any updates on if Jackson will indeed be receiving a Salatul Janazah.

In their article, Muslim Matters also does a good job of emphasizing the main point as to how we should feel about this as Muslims…

The answer is simple. Regardless of what the real answer is, we should hope he died Muslim. And that’s not just because he’s a celebrity or because we may have grown up listening to his hits, but because we as Muslims want the salvation of all mankind.

Islam is the best and most perfect way of life for all of humanity, and we want all manking to accept what we believe is the way to live mandated by God. And if that happens to be the most breakthrough artist in the history of pop music, then alhamdulillah, all praise be to God, may he be forgiven for all of his shortcomings.

If he’s not, then we leave his fate with his Creator as is, and hope more people like him are guided to accept Islam and help in spreading the message to the masses. And until we have some clearer answers to our questions, I feel this is the position we need to have as Muslims. We pray that Allah (SWT) guides more people to Islam.

TWO years ago, Sheik Adil Kalbani dreamed that he had become an imam at the Grand Mosque in Mecca, Islam’s holiest city.

Waking up, he dismissed the dream as a temptation to vanity. Although he is known for his fine voice, Sheik Adil is black, and the son of a poor immigrant from the Persian Gulf. Leading prayers at the Grand Mosque is an extraordinary honor, usually reserved for pure-blooded Arabs from the Saudi heartland.

The Vatican says Islamic finance system may help Western banks in crisis as alternative to capitalistm.

Friday, 06 March 2009 15:10

World Bulletin / News Desk

The Vatican offered Islamic finance principles to Western banks as a solution for worldwide economic crisis.

Daily Vatican newspaper, ‘L’Osservatore Romano, reported that Islamic banking system may help to overcome global crisis, Turkish media reported.The Vatican said banks should look at the ethical rules of Islamic finance to restore confidence amongst their clients at a time of global economic crisis.

“The ethical principles on which Islamic finance is based may bring banks closer to their clients and to the true spirit which should mark every financial service,” the Vatican ‘s official newspaper Osservatore Romano said in an article in its latest issue late yesterday.

Author Loretta Napoleoni and Abaxbank Spa fixed income strategist, Claudia Segre, say in the article that “Western banks could use tools such as the Islamic bonds, known as sukuk, as collateral”. Sukuk may be used to fund the “‘car industry or the next Olympic Games in London ,” they said.

They also said that profit share, gained from sukuk, may be an alternative to the interest. They underlined that sukuk system could help automotive sector and support investments in infrastructure area.

Islamic sukuk system is similar to bonos of capitalist system. But in sukuk, money is invested concrete projects and profit share is distributed to clients instead of interest earned.

Pope Benedict XVI in an Oct. 7 speech reflected on crashing financial markets saying that “money vanishes, it is nothing” and concluded that “the only solid reality is the word of God.” The Vatican has been paying attention to the global financial meltdown and ran articles in its official newspaper that criticize the free-market model for having “grown too much and badly in the past two decades.”

The Osservatore’s editor, Giovanni Maria Vian, said that “the great religions have always had a common attention to the human dimension of the economy,” Corriere della Sera reported today.

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